1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns the use of stinging insects for therapeutic purposes, and more particularly relates to a container for shipping live bees and further serving as a sting applicator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The controlled application of bee stings to human skin has been found beneficial in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and arthritis.
Containers for the shipment of live bees, as by way of the mail service, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,134 and 4,524,476. Said containers generally provide for an adequate supply of air and food to sustain provision for the special use of the bees in sting therapy. U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,267 concerns a container for use by fishermen for carrying live insects and dispensing said insects one at a time.
Because persons requiring sting therapy generally do not have proper expertise and equipment for handling live bees, it is highly desirable that the bees be made available in a substantially dosage-controlled, safe and easily utilized format. Since live bees are not as readily available as ordinary medicinal agents, it is necessary that the bees be shipped directly from the supplier to the user.
It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a shipping container for live insects that also serves as a controlled dosage application of stings.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a container as in the foregoing object which is of simple construction amenable to low cost manufacture.
These and other beneficial objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description.